Loader



Sept. 21, 1965 Filed Jan. 10, 1963 C. J. GRIFFITH ETAL LOADER 3 Sheets-Sheet l P 1965 c. J. GRIFFITH ETAL 3,207,341

LOADER Filed Jan. 10, 1963 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

/ y wzfeie/zsmz/ p 1965 c. J. GRIFFITH ETAL LOADER Filed Jan. 10, 1963 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTORS- fizlflw z ala-2;; @g/naffiiewson/ WAZW 9% United States Patent 3,207,341 LOADER Clifford J. Griffith, Westmont, and Wayne L. Peterson,

La Grange Park, Ill., assignors to International Harvester Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of New Jersey Filed Jan. 10, 1963, Ser. No. 250,675 4 Claims. (Cl. 214-140) The present invention relates to a front-mounted loader and more particularly to the loader base and its mounting on the tractor.

Tractors with loaders attached thereon are universally used and various methods have been utilized to mount the loaders on the tractors. The loader and loader base of this application are especially adapted to be mounted on a tractor of the type having the motor positioned laterally to one side of the center line between the wheels of the tractor. A tractor of this type is disclosed in US. Patent No. 2,327,850 to Baker et al. that issued on August 24, 1943. Tractors of this type are generally designed such that the motor and transmission case constitutes the longitudinal frame of the tractor which presents a problem when mounting a loader base to the tractor frame. There is an unequal distribution of weight on the tractor wheels as a result of the motor and transmissionv being offset, and if the loader base is mounted directly to either the motor or the transmission casting the unequal distribution of weight will be increased. Applicant has provided a loader base that is not directly connected to either the motor or transmission casting but is rather arranged such that the unequal weight distribution present in the tractor will be offset by the loader. This is accomplished by securing the loader base to opposite sides of the rear axle structure and to the front axle structure through a universal 'oint. 1 1 An object of this invention is to provide a loader base to be mounted on a tractor that would transmit all of the torsional forces encountered by the loader to the tractor wheel axle structure.

Another object is to provide a loader base for a tractor tha; is connected to the tractors front axle structure through a universal joint.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a loader base for a tractor of the type having its longitudinal body positioned laterally to one side of the center line between the wheels that would tend to balance the weight distribution between the rear wheels of the tractor.

These and other objects of the invention will become more apparent from the specification and drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a side view of a loader mounted on a tractor having a portion of the rear wheels cut away;

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the loader mounted upon a tractor;

FIGURE 3 is a prespective view of the connection between the loader base and the front axle structure;

FIGURE 4 is a plan view of the loader base; and

FIGURE 5 is a side view of the loader base.

Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference characters designate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, there is shown in FIGURE 1 a trac tor of the type disclosed in the above-referred-to patent, No. 2,327,850, having a front axle structure 11, front wheels 12, a bolster structure 18 having rearwardly disposed supports 19 carrying pins 20, steering mechanism 17, a longitudinal body 14 that includes the motor and a rearward portion 16, a rear axle structure 13 and wheels 21.

The loader base generally designated 30 and shown 3,207,341 Patented Sept. 21, 1965 detached from the tractor in FIGURE 4 includes a U- shaped support 31 having a first arm 32 and a second arm 34 and a bite portion 36. The terminal ends of arms 32 and 34 have apertures formed therein designated respectively 33 and 35. The load base is secured to the rear axle structure of the tractor by bolts or the like through these apertures. A stud shaft 37 extends outwardly from the foremost portion of the bite portion of said U-shaped support. The load base is connected to the front axle structure of the tractor through the stud shaft. A brace member 38 connects arms 32 and 34 adding rigidity to the U-shaped support and providing a base upon which is mounted an upright post 39. A pair of plates 40 are secured to both the brace member 38 and the upright post 39 providing a more stable connection between said brace and post. Plates 40 extend forwardly of post 39 and have aligned apertures 41 formed therein, the purpose of which will be discussed subsequently; a second horizontal plate 42 is secured to the top of post 39. The edges of plate 42 are bent upwardly and have aligned apertures 43 formed therein. Tubes such as 47 may be secured to the plate around the periphery of apertures 43 to provide a wider bearing surface. Control mounts 44 are secured to plate 42. As best seen in FIGURE 1, the control valve 46 is mounted on the horizontal surface of plate 42 and the loader controls are pivotally secured to the control mounts such that their movement actuates valve 46.

A universal joint or link designated 50 has been provided for connecting the forward portion of the loader base 30 to the front axial structure 11. As can be best seen in FIGURES l and 3, the universal joint or link 50 comprises a plate 52 having an aperture 53 formed therein, a pair of arms 54 and 56 having apertures, designated respectively 55 and 57, formed therein. The stud shaft 37 of the loader base 30 extends through the aperture 53 formed in plate 52. Shaft 37 is free to pivot with respect to plate 52 and is secured in place by the use of a cotter key or the like. The universal joint or link 50 is pivotally secured to the front axle structure by mounting on the pins 20 that extend outwardly from the rearwardly disposed supports 19 of the bolster structure 18.

The loader comprises a single loader boom arm, designated 58, that terminates in a pair of forked arms 63 that pivotally connect to the bucket 61. The loader boom arm is bent downwardly and is provided with a pair of gusset plates 59 about the bend. A first hydraulic cylinder is pivotally secured at one end between said gusset plates and at the other end to the plates 40 about the apertures 41. A second hydraulic cylinder 62 is pivotally mounted at one end between the gusset plates 59 and at the other end to the upper portion of the bucket 61. The first hydraulic cylinder 60 pivots the loader boom arm 58 about the boom arm pivot shaft which is mounted in the apertures 43 formed in the plate 42. The second hydraulic cylinder 62 controls the attitude of the bucket 61 and its actuation enables, for example, the bucket 61 to be dumped. The hydraulic cylinders 60 and 62 are, of course, actuated through the control valve 46 which, in turn, is controlled by the operator to the loader controls 45.

Thus it is seen that the complete weight of the loader is transferred to the tractor body at three points. The purpose of the universal joint being to evenly divide the vertical forces between the front wheel and eliminate any longitudinal loading on the front bolster. Horizontal forces at right angles to the tractor center line are of little consequence in this application, the fixed rear mounts absorbing the greater part. The forces transmitted through arms 32 and 34 to the rear axle structure are unequal since the major weight of the loader is carried by post 39 which is mounted on the right-hand side of brace 38. This arrangement will obviously transmit a greater load through arm 32 than through arm 34. Also, the unequal loading will cause a torsional force to be set up in loader base 30 tending to pivot the loader base 30 in a counterclockwise direction as seen from the front of the tractor. The front of the loader base 30 is permitted to pivot about stud shaft 37 and thus the torsional force is not transmitted through the universal joint 50. Since arms 32 and 34 are rigidly secured to the rear axle structure they cannot pivot with respect to the rear axle structure and the torsional forces are thus transmitted to the rear axle structure through these arms. As pointed out above, in a tractor of this type having the motor and transmission offset to one side the tractor has an inherent unequal loading in its wheels. In the loader and loader base herein disclosed the inherent unequal distribution of weight of the tractor is offset by transmitting a majority of the forces created by the loader to the side of the tractor carrying the lesser load.

Obviously, many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the above teachings. It is, therefore, to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

What is claimed is:

1. A tractor of the type having longitudinally spaced front and rear wheel axle structures each including transversely spaced wheels, the front wheels being steerable, a longitudinal body between said axle structures and positioned laterally to one side of the center line between the wheels, the improvement therein which comprises a loader base mounted on said longitudinal body comprising a pair of parallel arm portions connected at one end by a bite portion, the free ends of said arms being rigidly secured to said rear axle structure and said bite portion being secured to said front axle portion through a universal joint, said loader base including a brace member connecting said parallel arms, and an upright post carried by said brace member, laterally to the other side of said center line, upon which is mounted the boom arm, said longitudinal body and said loader boom being located on opposite sides of said center line between the wheels and tend to counterbalance each other to provide a balanced and stable device.

2. The invention as set forth in claim 1 wherein the loader boom arm is pivotally mounted to the upper end of said upright post and a hydraulic cylinder is interposed between the lower portion of said upright post and said loader boom arm.

3. A loader base comprising a U-shaped support adapted to be mounted on a tractor for supporting a loader frame, mounting means on each terminal end of said U-shaped support for rigidly securing said support to the rear axle housing of a tractor with the arms of said support substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the tractor and the bite section of said U-shaped support located beneath the front end of the tractor, a stud shaft extending from the bite section of said U-shaped support in parallel relationship to the arms of said U- shaped support, a link pivotally carried at one end by said stud shaft, said link adapted to be pivotally supported at its other end on the tractor about an axis normal to the axis of said stud shaft, and an upright post mounted on said U-shaped support intermediate said mounting means and said stud shaft for supporting the loader.

4. The invention as set forth in claim 3 wherein said loader base also includes brace means connecting the arms of said U-shaped support, and wherein said upright post is secured to said brace means.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,659,073 2/28 Athey 280109 1,712,162 5/29 Parrett.

2,638,235 5/53 Pokorny 214- 2,988,891 6/61 Hemings 214-140 X 3,002,301 10/61 Chapman 280109 X 3,047,308 7/62 Salna 28011l HUGO O. SCHULZ, Primary Examiner. 

1. A TRACTOR OF THE TYPE HAVING LONGITUDINALLY SPACED FRONT AND REAR WHEEL AXLE STRUCTURES EACH INCLUDING TRANSVERSELY SPACED WHEELS, THE FRONT WHEELS BEING STEERABLE, A LONGITUDINAL BODY BETWEEN SAID AXLE STRUCTURE AND POSITIONED LATERALLY TO ONE SIDE OF THE CENTER LINE BETWEEN THE WHEELS, THE IMPROVEMENT THEREIN WHICH COMPRISES A LOADER BASE MOUNTED ON SAID LONGITUDINAL BODY COMPRISING A PAIR OF PARALLEL ARM PORTIONS CONNECTED AT ONE END BY A BITE PORTION, THE FREE ENDS OF SAID ARMS BEING RIGIDLY SECURED TO SAID REAR AXLE STRUCTURE AND SAID BITE PORTION BEING SECURED TO SAID FRONT AXLE PORTION THROUGH A UNIVERSAL JOINT, SAID LOADER BASE INCLUDING A BRACE MEMBER CONNECTING SAID PARALLEL ARMS, AND AN UPRIGHT POST CARRIED BY SAID BRACE MEMBER, LATERALLY TO THE OTHER SIDE OF SAID CENTER LINE, UPON WHICH IS MOUNTED THE BOOM ARM, SAID LONGITUDINAL BODY AND SAID LOADER BOOM BEING LOCATED ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID CENTER LINE BETWEEN THE WHEELS AND TEND TO COUNTERBALANCE EACH OTHER TO PROVIDE A BALANCED AND STABLE DEVICE. 